At the heart of Frontier Nursing University is a talented community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, Couriers and preceptors. Spotlight blogs feature members of our FNU community that are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to work with all people, with an emphasis on rural and underserved communities.
FNU Preceptor Cassandra Klakken Viramontes, ARNP, FNP, provides care for area residents at the Grand Coulee Clinic in Washington. The clinic provides comprehensive health care, including family medicine, preventative care, and disease management, and is part of Coulee Medical Center, a 25-bed critical access hospital.
Klakken Viramontes has precepted three Frontier Nursing University nurse practitioner students, along with multiple students from other universities. She said precepting is consistently enriching.
“I always learn something from my students, which helps me be a stronger provider,” she said.
Klakken Viramontes said her decision to become a preceptor stems from her passion for education and her commitment to the nursing profession.
“My goal is to assist nurse practitioner students in successfully completing their programs and joining the much-needed ranks of family providers,” she said. “I also feel it is important to be a reasonable, guiding hand to clarify things I have been challenged with in real practice that students don’t often learn about in school. And, ultimately, I love to teach.”
For Klakken Viramontes, precepting is more than just clinical instruction. It’s a way to give back, stay connected to evolving educational standards, and foster a collaborative spirit within health care.
“We should not work in a silo,” she said.
FNU Regional Clinical Faculty member Joseph McFadden said Klakken Viramontes is transformational in her work as a preceptor. He said he witnessed her mentor a student who was struggling and in danger of failing clinicals, only to witness that student transform into a confident, capable entry-level provider under her guidance.
“She was also a very personable, very welcoming preceptor,” he said.
While Klakken Viramontes has mentored students from multiple programs, she said Frontier students consistently stand out.
“I am reminded every time how solid FNU programs are, and how the instructors have worked with the FNU students to prepare them for rural health care,” she said.
Thank you, Cassandra, for your dedication to teaching, commitment to rural health, and belief in nurturing future providers.
To read about previously recognized preceptors or to nominate a preceptor, click here. Are you interested in becoming a Frontier preceptor? Learn more here.
